Garden by the Moon

It seems more gardeners are turning to the moon for advice on the best time to plant, prune, weed, and harvest. Cathy Isom fills us in on what you should know about the moon before planting and gardening. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.

Gardening by the Moon, or more specifically, according to the phases of the Moon, is an idea that has been around for as long as humans have been growing their own food. It’s becoming more and more in vogue, cropping up (no pun intended) in books, blogs, and other educational materials coming out of the permaculture movement, “a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature.”

But how could a chunk of rock more than 200,000 miles away affect how plants on Earth grow?

Those who swear by this ancient growing method say the water in both the ground and in plants are affected by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon, just like ocean tides are. Just as the tides are highest during the New and Full phases of the Moon, this theory holds, seeds, too, will absorb the most water during these times.

Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.